Switch for electric pencil sharpeners



P 17, 7940 w. L. RHODES. JR

I SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC PENCIL SHARPENERS Filed July 19, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 1 a4 W 1: z.

Aiiorney's Sept. 17,1940. w. 1.. RHODES. JR 2,214,890

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC PENCIL SHARPENERS Filed Ju1y'l9, 1935 8 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I Inventor Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE swrrcn FOR ELECTRIC PENCIL snmENEas Willia'm L. Rhodes, In,Aiken, S. 0., assignor oi! one-halite Thomas P. Mitchell, Aiken, S. 0.

serted in the sharpener to operate an electric motor for driving thesharpener.

A further object is to provide a switch mechanism of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is neat and attractive inappearance, eilicient and reliable in performance,

m relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted forthe purposes for which the same is intended. I

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail of construction andoperation as more fully 5 hereinafter described and claimed,'referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section. I

Figure 2 is an end elevational view, and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed u a preferred embodiment of theinvention,-the

numeral 5 denotes a base secured in spaced relation above a sub-base 6by screws or the like I. To the upper surface of the base-6 is secured apair of spaced brackets 8 between which is mounted a pencil sharpener 9of conventional construction.

The sharpener is arranged foroperation by an electric motor i0 having adrive gear Ii operatively engaged with a pinion l2 mounted on the shaftI; of the sharpener. interposed in the circuit wires l4 leading to themotor is a toggle switch having its operating lever I 6 projectingdownwardly through an opening in the base 5. The switch i5, motor l0 andgears l l and I! are m enclosed in a suitable housing I! secured to theupper surface of the base5.

At the forward end of the sharpener is positioned a shaft i1 upon whichis'rotatably mounted a pair of spaced guide wheels I! of conventionalconstruction and having milled pe- As more clearly illustrated in Figure2 of the drawings. one edge of the roller is positioned in partlyoverlying relation with respect to the pencil receiving opening i9 whenthe latter is positioned in alignment with the sharpener Q. 5 To thelower end of the arm 2i is pivotally secured one end of a rod 24extending through a, slotted opening 25 in the front edge of the base 5and extending horizontally beneath the base with its other end providedwith a yoke 28 10 engaging the lever ii of the switch ii. Theintermediate portion of the rod 24 is freely inserted in an opening 21of a bracket 28 secured to the underside of the base 5, said bracketconstituting a fulcrum point for the rod. Springs ll 29 and 30 areconnected to the rod at opposite sides of the bracket and extend inopposite directions for attaching to the respective opposite sides ofthe base 5, to yielda-bly maintain the switch in its off position. 90

In the operation of the device as the pencil .is inserted in the openingis the arm 2i will be actuated to close the swtch through the connectionthereof by mean of the rod 24 in a manner as will be apparent. The freerotation of the roll- 86 er 22 enables the pencil to be inserted andremoved wlthout binding against the arm 2i.

It is believed the details-of construction and manner of operation willbe readily understood from the foregoing without further detailedexplanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. A switchoperating mechanism for electrically operated-pencil sharpenerscomprising an 88 upstanding arm pivotally mounted intermediate it ends,a pin projecting longitudinally from the upper end of the arm, a rollerjournalled on the pin and positioned in the path of a pencil wheninserted in-the sharpener for pivotally actuating 4c the arm, and ahorizontally extending switch operating rod secured to the lower end ofsaid arm for closing a switch upon insertion of a pencil in thesharpener, and spring means yieldably urging the rod into a position foropening the switch. I

"2. A switch operating mechanism for electrically operated pencilsharpeners, comprising a vertically positioned arm pivotally mountedintermediate its ends, a pin projecting longitudio0 nally from the upperend of the arm, a roller journalled on the pin and positioned in thepath of a pencil when inserted in the sharpener for pivotally actuatingthe arm, a horizontally extending rod pivoted intermediate its ends andBi mounted intermediate its ends to the sharpener with the upper end ofthe arm in the path of a pencil inserted into the sharpener foractuating the arm and a rod pivoted intermediate its ends beneath thebase. one end of the rod being connected to the switch and the other endof the rod being connected to the lower end of the arm for transmittingactuating movement of the arm to the switch.

WILLIAM L. RHODES, JR.

